Combined front and winker stay



July 31, 1934. w J ECKERLE 1,968,192

COMBINED FRONT AND WINKER STAY Filed Jan. 28, 1933 Patented July 31, 1934 more!) STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,968,192 V COMBINED mom AND WINKER STAY William John Eckerle, Louisville, Ky. Application January 28, 1933, Serial No. 654,033

4 Claims. (01. 54-40) I The present invention relates to combination fronts and winker stays for animals, such as horses or the like. Heretofore, it has been the usual practice to have the winker stay connected 5 to the brow band between the ends of the stay and, in some instances, there is a strap extending upwardly across the brow band between the ears of the horse. In some cases, the brow band and winker stay are formed integrally by taking a strap and splitting the same at each end. Such arrangements are open to many disadvantages. Where the winker stays have a rigid connection with the brow band, there is no compensation afforded for the relative movements of the winkers, and it frequently happens that the winker stays will break adjacent their connection with the brow band. Another disadvantage is that the winker stay is apt to become torn away from the brow band along the line of juncture between these two members. Also, some of these old arrangements are uncomfortable to the horse and frequently result in rubbing and irritation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved combined front and winker stay in which the above noted disadvantages are obviated. With this thought in mind, an improved device of this character is provided in which great flexibility is afforded between the brow band and the winker stay.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved device of this character in which the winker stay is so carried by the brow band that compensation is afforded for the movements of the winkers.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved device of this character which is very comfortable and in which the several parts thereof are so disposed that none of the parts thereof will cause any irritation to the horse.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of this character which is easily and economically manufactured, is more durable than those heretofore constructed,

and will stand up longer under the strains and stresses to which a device of this kind is subjected.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown, for illustrative purposes, one embodiment which the present invention may take,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved combined front and winker stay shown applied to a horse;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, A generally designates my improved combined front and winker stay which is shown as applied to a horse B. My improved combined front and winker stay comprises a brow band 10 formed of leather or other suitable material which is adapted toconform more or less to the brow of the horse B. The brow band is provided with the usual loops at its opposite ends for attachment to a ring 11. In order to support the winker stay 12, a supporting member, generally designated C, is provided. This supporting member C includes an attaching plate 13 which may be formed of any suitable metal and is curved in the direction of its length so as to conform more or less to the contour of the brow of the horse.

This plate 13 is provided with apertures adapted.

to receive rivets 14 or the like by means of which the plate may be secured to the brow band 10. Depending from the lower edge of the plate and intermediate the ends thereof is an apertured ear 15 which is offset inwardly from the plane of the plate 13. This ear is provided at its opposite sides with inturned flanges 16. A loop or ring 17 having a tangentially extending apertured lug 18 is carried by the plate 13. The lug 18 of the loop 17 is received between the flanges 16 with the apertures of the ear 15 and lug 18 in registry for the reception of a rivet 19 or the like by means of which the loop 1'7 is secured to the plate 13. It will be observed, especially from Fig. 3, that the loop 17 and its ear 18 are disposed forwardly of the inner face of the brow band 10 so that the loop 17 and its ear 18 will be spaced from the brow of the horse. The loop 1'7 is adapted to loosely receive the winker stay, and the opposite ends of the latter may be secured in any suitable manner to the winkers or blinds 20.

It is observed that the brow band 10 and the winker stay 12 are entirely separate from one another, and that the winker stay is free to slide longitudinally in the loop 17, and it may also freely rotate therein. It is thus apparent that any movement of the winkers will be compensated for by the sliding and rotative movements of the winker stay in the loop 17, and hence there will be a great flexibility and compensating efiect between the parts.

It is also seen that the winker stay is maintained out of engagement with the horse and there are no straps nor connections on the brow band which cause rubbing and soreness, which means that my improved arrangement is a very comfortable one and one with which irritation is entirely eliminated. I

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, itis intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred mechanical embodiment of the idea of the invention, it is to be understood that the in vention is not to be limited thereby and the scope thereof is to be measured entirely by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now described my invention so that others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In combination, a brow band, a winker stay separate from said band, and means mounted upon said band for supporting said stay between its ends so as to permit relative longitudinal movement of the stay with respect to the band.

2. In combination, a brow band, a winker stay separate from said band, and a ring fixed to said band and adapted to support said stay in a freely slidable manner.

3. In combination, a brow band, a winker stay separate from said brow band, an attaching plate secured to the outer face of the band between the ends of the latter and having a depending portion, and a ring carried by said depending portion arranged in a plane at right angles to the length of the band, said winker stay comprising a relatively round member of smaller diameter than the ring, said stay being threaded through the ring and being supported thereby.

4. In combination, a brow band, a winker stay separate from said band, a plate secured to the outer face of the band, and a ring carried by said plate and disposed outwardly of the inner face of said band, said ring being adapted to receive the stay for free longitudinal and rotative movement therein.

WM. JOHN ECKERLE. 

